Athletes and Sports Stars Who Died in 2007

Jan 29 Barbaro, American thoroughbred racehorse (b. 2003)
Jan 30 Max Lanier, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1943-44; World Series 1942, 44; St. Louis Cardinals), dies at 91
Feb 2 Masao Takemoto, Japanese gymnast (Olympic gold team 1960; 3 x silver 1952, 56, 60; 3 x bronze 1956), dies from cholangiocarcinoma at 87
Feb 4 José Carlos Bauer, Brazilian World Cup footballer (b. 1925)
Feb 4 Steve Barber, American baseball pitcher (b. 1938)
Feb 6 Lew Burdette, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1957, 59; World Series MVP 1957; no hitter 1960; Milwaukee Braves), dies from lung cancer at 80
Feb 6 Willye White, American athlete (Olympic silver long jump 1956, 4x100m relay 1964; Sports Illustrated 100 greatest women athletes of 20th century), dies of pancreatic cancer at 67

Hank Bauer (1922-2007)

Feb 9 American baseball infielder, manager (8-time World Series champion; NY Yankees, Baltimore Orioles), dies from lung cancer at 84

Feb 22 Dennis Johnson, American basketball player (b. 1954)
Feb 24 Lamar Lundy, American NFL football defensive end, 1957-69 (Los Angeles Rams), dies at 71
Mar 2 Clem Labine, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1956, 57; World Series 1955, 59, 60; Brooklyn / LA Dodgers, Detroit Tigers), dies after exploratory brain surgery at 80
Mar 4 Ian Wooldridge, British sports journalist (Daily Mail; British Sportswriter of the Year 1972, 74, 81, 89) and broadcaster (BBC), dies of cancer at 75
Mar 8 John Vukovich, American baseball infielder, manager (Philadelphia Phillies), dies at 59
Mar 9 Glen Harmon, Canadian ice hockey defenceman (Stanley Cup 1944, 46: NHL All Star 1949, 50; Montreal Canadiens), dies at 86
Mar 10 Buddy Allin, American golfer (5 PGA Tour titles), dies of cancer at 62
Mar 10 Ernie Ladd, American football player and professional wrestler (b. 1938)

Bowie Kuhn (1926-2007)

Mar 15 American Baseball HOF executive (MLB Commissioner 1969-1984), dies of pneumonia at 80

Mar 16 Manjural Islam Rana, Bangladeshi cricket all-rounder (6 Tests, 1 x 50, 5 wickets, BB 3/84; Khulna Division), dies in a road accident at 22
Mar 18 Bob Woolmer, English cricket all-rounder (19 Tests, 3 x 100, HS 149, 4 wickets; Kent CCC, Natal, Western Province) and coach (Pakistan, South Africa), dies of diabetes at 58
Mar 23 Eric Medlen, American NHRA drag racer, dies at 33
Mar 24 Maurice Flitcroft, British golfer known as "the world's worst golfer," dies at 77
Apr 1 Herb Carneal, American sports broadcaster (Minnesota Twins 1962-2006; Ford C. Frick Award 1996), dies of congestive heart failure at 83
Apr 3 Eddie Robinson, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (Grambling 408 wins), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 88
Apr 5 Darryl Stingley, American NFL football wide receiver, 1973-77 (New England Patriots), dies from heart disease and pneumonia complicated by quadriplegia at 55
Apr 16 Gaetan Duchesne, Canadian hockey player (b. 1962)
Apr 16 Maria Lenk, Brazilian swimmer and first Brazilian woman to compete in the Olympic Games (b. 1915)
Apr 21 Parry O'Brien, American athlete (Olympic gold shot put 1952, 1956; silver 1960), dies of a heart attack during a swimming competition at 75
Apr 25 Alan Ball, English footballer (b. 1945)
Apr 25 Arthur Milton, English footballer (Arsenal, 1951-55) and cricketer (opening batsman, 2 tests - 1958, 1959), dies at 79
Apr 25 Les Jackson, English cricket fast bowler (2 Tests, 7 wickets; Derbyshire), dies at 86
Apr 29 Dick Motz, New Zealand cricket all-rounder (32 Tests, 100 wickets, BB 6/63; Canterbury CA), dies at 67
Apr 29 Josh Hancock, American baseball player, dies at 29
Apr 30 Kevin Mitchell, American football player (b. 1971)
May 7 Diego Corrales, American boxer (Diego Corrales, American boxer (IBF super featherweight title 1999-2000, WBO super featherweight 2004; WBO lightweight 2004-06, WBC, Ring mag & lineal lightweight titles 2005-06), dies in a road accident at 29
May 14 Jean Saubert, American alpine ski racer (Olympic giant slalom silver, slalom bronze 1964), dies of breast cancer at 65
May 19 Bernard Blaut, Polish soccer midfielder (36 caps; KP Legia Warsaw, FC Metz) and manager (UAE), dies at 67
May 20 Norman Von Nida, Australian golfer, coach, broadcaster (British Open 1948 3rd), dies at 93
May 25 Bill Johnston, Australian cricket fast/spin bowler (40 Tests, 160 wickets @ 23.91; Victoria), dies at 85
May 27 Ron Archer, Australian cricket all-rounder (19 Tests, 1 x 100, 48 wickets; Queensland CA), dies at 73
May 28 Marquise Hill, American football player (b. 1982)
May 29 Dave Balon, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1938)
Jun 1 Arn Shein, American sports writer (editor The Daily Item 1949-74), dies at 78
Jun 4 Bill France, Jr., NASCAR pioneer, dies of lung cancer at 74
Jun 4 Clete Boyer, American MLB baseball infielder, 1955-71 (New York Yankees, and 2 other teams), dies at 70
Jun 19 Antonio Aguilar [Barraza], Mexican singer, producer and actor (Emiliano Zapata) who popularized the Mexican equestrian sport la charrería, dies of pneumonia at 88
Jun 19 Terry Hoeppner, American football coach (b. 1947)
Jun 23 Rod Beck, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1993, 94, 97; San Francisco Giants), dies from a drug overdose at 38
Jun 24 Derek Dougan, Northern Irish footballer (b. 1938)
Jun 25 J. Fred Duckett, American sports announcer (Houston Astros, Rice University, US Track & Field) and teacher, dies from leukemia at 74
Jun 26 Joey Sadler, All Black rugby player (b. 1914)
Jun 27 Patrick Allotey, Ghanaian footballer (b. 1979)
Jul 11 Arif Butt, Pakistani cricket pace bowler (3 Tests, 14 wickets; Lahore, Pakistan Railways), dies at 63
Jul 14 John Ferguson Sr, Canadian hockey player, dies at 68
Jul 16 Tom Brooks, Australian cricket umpire (23 Tests 1970-78), dies at 88
Jul 20 Bill Flemming, American journalist and sportscaster (ABC's Wide World of Sports), dies at 80
Jul 25 Bernd Jakubowski, German goalkeeper (b. 1952)
Jul 26 Skip Prosser, American basketball coach (only coach to take 3 schools to NCAA Tournament in first year; Loyola [MD], Xavier, Wake Forest), dies from heart attack at 56
Jul 29 Jim David, American NFL defensive back (Pro Bowl 1954-59; NFL Champion 1952-53, 57; Detroit Lions), dies at 79

Bill Walsh (1931-2007)

Jul 30 American Pro Football HOF coach (Super Bowl 1981, 84, 88; NFL Coach of the Year 1981; SF 49ers; Stanford University 1977–78), dies of leukemia at 75

Aug 11 Norman Marshall, West Indian cricket spin bowler (1 Test, 2 wickets; Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago), dies at 83

Phil Rizzuto (1917-2007)

Aug 13 American Baseball HOF shortstop (5 x MLB All-Star; 7 x World Series; AL MVP 1950; NY Yankees) and broadcaster (WCBS radio, WPIX-TV), dies at 89

Aug 15 Sam Pollock, Canadian NHL hockey general manager, 9X Stanley Cups (Montreal Canadiens, 1964-78), dies at 81
Aug 25 Ray Jones, English footballer, dies when he crashed his car into a bus 3 weeks after getting his driver's license at 18
Aug 26 Roy McLean, South African cricketer (prolific South African batsman played 40 Tests), dies at 77
Aug 29 Chaswe Nsofwa, Zambian soccer striker (33 caps; Zanaco FC), dies from heart failure at 28
Aug 29 Richard Jewell, American security guard (central figure in 1996 Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta bombing), dies from kidney failure at 44
Aug 31 Gay Brewer, American golfer (US Masters 1967), dies of lung cancer at 75
Aug 31 Willie Cunningham, Irish soccer defender (30 caps Northern Ireland; St Mirren, Leicester City, Dunfermline) and manager (Dunfermline, Falkirk, St Mirren), dies at 77
Sep 1 Viliam Schrojf, Slovak soccer goalkeeper (39 caps Czechoslovakia; Slovan Bratislava 240 games), dies at 76
Sep 2 Max McNab, Canadian ice hockey executive (GM Washington Capitals 1975-83; New Jersey Devils 1983-87), dies at 83
Sep 9 Helmut Senekowitsch, Austrian soccer forward (18 caps; Sturm Graz, First Vienna, Real Betis, Wacker Innsbruck) and manager (Austria, Athletic Bilbao, AEK), dies at 73
Sep 11 Ian Porterfield, Manager of Armenia National Football Club (b. 1946)
Sep 15 Colin McRae, Scottish rally driver (World Rally Championship 1995), dies following a helicopter crash at 39
Sep 20 Johnny Gavin, Irish soccer winger (7 caps Rep. Ireland; Norwich City 312 games), dies at 79
Sep 21 Hallgeir Brenden, Norwegian cross country skier (Olympic gold 1952, 56), dies at 78
Sep 21 Ruth Jessen, American golfer (11 LPGA Tour wins, 3-time major runner-up), dies of lung cancer at 70
Sep 22 Bodinho, Brazilian footballer (b. 1928)
Sep 26 Bill Wirtz, American longtime Chicago Blackhawks owner, dies at 77
Sep 28 Derek Shackleton, England cricket fast bowler (7 Tests, 18 wickets, BB 4/72; Hampshire CCC, MCC), dies at 83

Al Oerter (1936-2007)

Oct 1 American discus thrower (Olympic gold 1956, 60, 64, 68), dies of heart failure aged 71

Oct 2 Tex Coulter, American NFL defensive lineman (All Pro 1948, 51-52; Pro Bowl 1951-52; NY Giants), dies at 82
Oct 7 Norifumi Abe, Japanese motorcycle road racer, dies in road accident at 32
Oct 19 Michael Maidens, English footballer with Hartlepool United (b. 1987)
Oct 20 Max McGee, American football wide receiver, punter (NFL C'ship 1961, 62, 65, 66, 67; Super Bowl I, II; Pro Bowl 1961; Green Bay Packers), dies at 75
Oct 26 Nicolae Dobrin, Romanian footballer (b. 1947)
Oct 29 Christian d'Oriola, French fencer (4-time Olympic gold foils 1948, 52, 56), dies at 79
Oct 30 John Woodruff, American athlete (Olympic gold 800m 1936), dies at 92
Oct 31 Ray Gravell, Welsh rugby union footballer (Wales and the British Lions), dies of a heart attack at 56
Nov 6 George Grljusich, Australian sports broadcaster, dies at 68
Nov 11 Dick Nolan, American football head coach with San Francisco 49ers 1968-75, New Orleans Saints 1978-80, dies at 75
Nov 12 K C Ibrahim, Indian cricket batsman (4 Tests, 1 x 50, HS 85; Bombay CA), dies at 88
Nov 13 John Doherty, English footballer (b. 1935)
Nov 13 Kazuhisa Inao, Japanese baseball player (b. 1937)
Nov 15 Joe Nuxhall, American baseball pitcher and sportscaster (youngest MLB player at 15 years, 316 days), dies at 79
Nov 16 Don Metz, Canadian ice hockey right wing (Stanley Cup 1942, 45, 47, 48, 49 Toronto Maple Leafs), dies at 91
Nov 19 Jim Ringo, American Pro Football HOF center (7 × First-team All-Pro; 10 × Pro Bowl; Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles) and coach (Buffalo Bills 1976–77), dies at 75
Nov 19 Mike Gregory, English rugby league footballer, dies from progressive muscular atrophy at 43
Nov 21 Noel McGregor, New Zealand cricket batsman (25 Tests, 1 x 100; Otago CA), dies at 75
Nov 21 Tom Johnson, Canadian NHL ice hockey defenseman, 1947-65 (5 x Stanley Cups - Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins), and executive (Bruins - 2 x Stanley Cups), dies of heart failure at 79
Nov 23 Joe Kennedy, American MLB baseball pitcher. 2001-07 (Tampa Bay Devil Rays and 4 other teams), dies of hypertensive heart disease at 28
Nov 23 Óscar Sánchez, Bolivian soccer defender (78 caps; Club The Strongest, Club Bolivar), dies at 36
Nov 23 Pat Walsh, New Zealand rugby union utility back (13 Tests; Auckland, Counties) and All Black selector 1969-71, dies at 71
Nov 26 Herb McKenley, Jamaican athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 400m relay 1952; 3 x silver 1948, 52), dies at 85
Nov 27 Bill Willis, American College-Pro Football HOF defensive tackle (NFL C'ship 1950; 4 × First-team All-Pro; 3 × Pro Bowl; Cleveland Browns), dies at 86
Nov 27 Sean Taylor, American football free safety (Pro Bowl 2006, 07; All Pro 2007; Washington Redskins), dies when shot by an armed intruder at 24
Nov 29 Ralph Beard, American basketball guard (Olympic gold 1948; NBA All-Star 1951; life ban point shaving scandal 1951), dies at 79
Dec 1 Ken McGregor, Australian tennis player (Australian C'ship 1952), dies of stomach cancer at 78
Dec 3 Art Arfons, auto racer/designer (3 x world land speed record; "Green Monster"), dies at 81
Dec 20 Tommy Byrne, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1950; World Series 1949, 56; NY Yankees), dies at 87
Dec 25 John Hayes, New Zealand cricket fast bowler (15 Tests, 30 wickets; Auckland CA), dies at 80
Dec 26 Stu Nahan, American Sportscaster (b. 1926)
Dec 29 Phil O'Donnell, Scottish soccer midfielder (1 cap; Motherwell, Celtic, Sheffield Wednesday; PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year 1992, 94), dies from cardiac arrest while playing at 35
Dec 31 Tommy Dickson, British footballer (b. 1929)
Dec 31 Tony Elliott, American football player (b. 1959)